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As quickly as she could, Elyse felt her way through the layers, listening with her mind and her magic for hints at how to navigate the labyrinth of the wards.
“Do I have seventy million?”
“Seventy-five,” Ymaritis called out.
Elyse’s heart beat faster as she plunged deeper into the wards. She didn’t know how much longer the bidding would go on, and every second seemed to scream at her that she wasn’t working quick enough.
“Eighty!” Royce shouted.
“Ninety!” Belledieux declared.
She was almost through to the other side, her magic key nearly complete.
“One-hundred million,” Ymaritis countered, just as the wards came crashing down.
“One-hundred million,” the auctioneer confirmed. “Do I have one-ten?”
Elyse squeezed Manny’s hand, the signal that she was ready for him to make his move.
“One-ten,” came Royce’s response.
Elyse flicked her fingers, turning Manny invisible to everyone else. She created the illusion that he was standing next to her, hand in hand. With quick, adept movements, Manny seemed to stride out of his own body. He plunged his hand into Elyse’s pocket and pulled out the fake rose, then darted toward the dais.
“Do I have one-twenty?”
Manny was on the dais, taking careful steps toward the pedestal that held the eternal rose. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and held it delicately as he neared the artifact.
But no one was bidding.
“One-twenty? Can I get one-twenty?” asked the auctioneer. He waited. No answer. “One-hundred and ten million going once…”
Manny stood just before the pedestal, his hands raised.
“One-hundred and ten million going twice…”
Shit. Elyse had taken too long on the wards. Manny’s hands were steady as he prepared to make the switch, but he wouldn’t have enough time to run off stage before Elyse had to start putting the wards back up.
“One-twenty!” called a voice from the crowd.
Elyse would’ve let out a sigh of relief if it weren’t for the voice who said it. That was Jaime’s voice. Jaime had just bid on the rose—for an amount of money he did not have.
Manny’s free hand dove for the true rose just as the other hand dropped the fake rose into place, and Elyse twitched her fingers, making the proper changes of invisibility.
The trade was done.
Manny held the real rose in his hand, protected by the thin layer of handkerchief, as he raced off the dais.
“One-thirty!” Royce proclaimed.
Devil’s taint, that was a relief. At least Jaime wouldn’t end up on the hook for the gold.
She felt the weight of the rose as it slipped into her pocket, and then Manny’s hand was back in her own, squeezing her assuredly.
“One-hundred-thirty million going once…”
Elyse worked to put the wards back into place, grateful it was easier than taking them down.
“One-hundred-thirty million going twice…”
